I love the brewed coffee I get from the grinds but wish the machine did not have so much static electricty and was easier to clean.

Positive Product Points

The grind is very consistent. It is an easy machine to use. Cleaning the top burr is easy because it lifts right out of the machine.

Negative Product Points

A small amount of grinds fall through the machine and come out the bottom. There is an incredible amount of static electricty at times which causes the grinds to stick all over the machine. French roast beans do not go through very easily. It is hard to clean the interior of the machine.

Detailed Commentary

I have used the Solis Maestro Plus for six months. This is my first burr grinder. I used a Krups blade grinder up to this point. I really like the quality of grounds compared to the blade grinder.

I am already looking for another burr grinder because of some frustrations with this machine. Chief among them is the difficulty french roast beans have going through the grinder. I think it is because of their slickness and/or how large they are. I use mostly french roast and sometimes they just sit there with the machine running. I have to push them down to get them to go through the burrs. I am not talking a slight push either.

Other types of beans don't go through easily when the machine is not cleaned regularly. A weekly cleaning is essential. I take the top burr out, brush it off, and wash it in soap and water. I turn the main part of the machine upside down, tap it to knock grinds out, and do my best to brush out the interior. You cannot put water in this part of the machine. I take the hopper out and bounce the machine gently to dislodge grinds still stuck in the chute. The machine always works better after a cleaning like this, i.e., the beans go through the burrs more quickly without having to be pushed.

The other frustration is with the static electricity. French roast creates the most static. The grinds stick all over the machine. Fortunately I live in Florida so this is not a year round problem what with our humidity. I sometimes add a few splashes of water to help cut down on the static. I also grind the beans first thing when I get up and let them sit a little while to dissipate the static before using them.

Having never used another burr grinder I cannot say whether or not this is a good buy for the money. I would love to get up throw the beans in the hopper, turn it on, and have perfectly ground coffee without the static and without having to push the beans through the burrs.

I do love the consistency of the grind and taste and flavor of the brewed coffee. I get excellent crema using both my Chemex drip coffee maker and my Hario Deco vacuum pot. I am thinking of the great tastes as I write this - um - very good indeed. I use the drip setting for the Chemex and just to the right of the drip setting for the Deco. I haven't yet found the perfect grind for my Bialetti Brikka which I just purchased two weeks ago. I did get a very good cup of coffee with lasting crema a couple of times. I think the best grind for the Brikka is between drip and espresso.

Buying Experience

I do not remember from which company I purchased the machine. I did have a problem with it not working very well at all so I called the company which referred me to Baratza. The machine had grinds coming out everywhere and so much static it was not worth using. The Baratza representative walked me through opening the machine up and pulling out the interior from the housing. I discovered a broken piece so they mailed me another machine with directions on how to return the broken one.